Letter and other character.



J. T. WALLACE LETTER AIID OTHER GHARAGTER. APPLIUATION 211,21) JAN. 9,190a.

Patented Got. 13, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

amvamko a J. T. WALLACE.

LETTER AND OTHER CHARACTER.

APPLIOATION FILED 1m, 1908.

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

j I If/ 6 X ma m-Mo'o directory, sign, or a like dis lay, theconipocumin ATES ATENT curios.

JAMES r. WALLACE, on NEW YORK, N. y.

LETTER AND o'rmn CHARAGTEZ Specification of Letters Pat nt.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application filed January e, 1998. sen-n us. roam To all whom it. mayconcern:

Be it known that LJAMEs T. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and 1'1. .eful Improvements inLetters and other (,liaracters, of which the following is aspecification. My'lnvention relates to an improved form of letteradapted to be inserted and held in a suitable backing for the purpose offorming a sition of which may be readi y altered by the insertion orremoval of letters, or which may be entirely removed and a new displaysubstituted. As is set forth in Letters Patent N o.

454,769 to' William E. Roberts it has heretofore been customary toconstruct these letters by forming a face of porcelain upon a sideelevation of a v represents a view in front elevation ofa backingboardwith letters inserted; Fig. 10 rep- 6E letter provided withafastener member; Fig. are. resents a sectional view in side elevationof a letter provided with a'fastener member; Figs. 5- to 7 inclusiverepresent 60 views in front elevation of fastener members of varioussizes; Fig.

astener member Fig. 9

resents a View in side elevation of a backing boardfwith a letterinserted; Fi 11 repre sents a viewin top elevation o the lower blockmember of a preferred form of apparatus for making" letters or. othercharacters; 70

Fig. 12 represents a view in elevation of-the lower face of the npperblock member of a" preferred form of apparatus for making-letters orother characters; Fig. 13 represents a 8 represents a view in body ofcopper or other metal, a rivet being inserted in and rojecting at theback of the metal body for tlie purpose of soldering there to a narrowwedge formed spring tongue. I It is my purpose to provide a letterformed from a plastic material molded under pres- 4 sure, in the back ofwhich is securely embedded the shank of a fastener member adapted to beinserted and securely held in a suitable backing board. I provide afastener memberof novel construction embodying the features of strength,simplicity, ease of operation, and absence of wear on the covering ofthe backing board.

In Figures 11 to lginclusive of the draw ings herewith and in thedescription of the same I have shown a form of apparatus for making theletters or other characters which is at resent preferred by me. Ido notdesire, owever, to claim such apparatus in connection with the inventionset forth in v this application, suchv apparatus and like apparatusbeing made the subjectmatter of 'a companion application filed of evendate herewith. v

My invention consists in the construction and combination of parts setforth in, and. falling within the scope of the claims hereto ap ended. I

n the accompanying drawings like characters of reference denote likepartsin all the figures thereof.

Fig. 1 represents a view inperspectiveof a ing at present preferred byme as being of an enduring quahty and adapted to reslst the tendencytoward loosening of the fastener member under strain.- ,From the backthere is embedded in the upright member 1 .of the letter, afastener-member provided with a fastener portion 23 and areturn bend'portion 45.

Referring to Figs; 5-8tit will be seen that the fastener portion, formedby the tongue 3 turned substantially at right angles ..to the,

upright portion 2, is narrow while the return" bend portion 4-'5 isbroadened. By forming the fastener member with a broadened returnbendportion not only is it possible to make useof a shorter return bend,but the latter may be made with theapoint 5 and shank 4.- substantiallyarallel without -dimin-- ishing the security o'the. fastener member 1-0and letter tvhemthe former is inserted in a backingbbard, ,The use ofthis broadened and shortened formoffastener' results in a decreased wearonithe fabric with. which it is letter provided with a fastener memberFig. 2 represents a rear view in elevation of a 55 letter. providedwitha fastener member;

, Fig. 3 represents a side view in elevation of a' customary to coverthebacking board, "and, 110 "added ease-of insertion and removal. Thefastener .member is constructed in varying e v t sizes for use inconnection with large or small letters.

In Figs. 9 and 10 are shown the usual form of backing board B consistingof a grooved surface covered with a suitable fabric which extends intothe grooves.

In Figs, 11-13 is shown a preferred form of mold or die for use in themanufacture of letters or other characters from celluloid or otherplastic material.

The preferred form of die comprises two block members A and B; themember A, or lower member being provided with a recess 6 for thematerial used, in the form of the letter desired, there being anadditional recess a: to receive any overflow of the material. The uppermember Bis formed with a removable portion 1) adapted to be fitted intothe face of the body 6 8 on opposite edges of one side of member 6 inplace of the .flanges, or in combination with shortened flanges a recess9 may be formed in the side of member 6 to provide a-seat for a fastenermember; the top of the fastener member rests onflange 7 while the bottomor tongue portion projects above the face of I) through a cut-awayportion 10 of the flange 8. The construction of the flange 7 and of therecess 9 when used is such that, the removable portion I) having beenlittcd into the body b and the members A and B having been broughttogether, the projecting fastener portion will be forced into andembedded in the plastic material of which the letter is being'formed ata desired loca tion. The members A and B are held in re ister by pinmembers 12 mounted on A which enter corresponding a ertures 13 formed in40 B. A pin 14 'on b in. ike manner enters an aperture 15in 6 The body11 is provided with a pin member 11. adapted to be in position under thetongue 3 of the projecting fastener portion when If is fitted into 2);as the fastener portion is forced into'the plastic ma'-*' terial shouldthe tongue 3 be bent to ward. the member B by reason of the material notbeing completely plastic, it will be supported and held in its positionsubstantially at a right angle with the portion 2, by the pin member 11.The pin member 1]. also forms .,an aperture 16 (see Fig. 4) in the backof the letterbr character over the tongue portion 3, thereby preventingthe formation of air bubbles b providing for the escape of air forcedinto t. 1e 1plastic material by 3 and also com- .pelling t e material toflow into the space .made by the passage of tongue 3 and thus seicure itin position when the material sets. Heat is preferably applied to themember A in order to secure thorough plasticity of the this removableportion is pro -20 vided with flai'iges 7 and l l p material and toprevent cooling of the same before the fastener member has becomesocurely embedded therein; for the latter reason membeiziB also heatedbefore being placed in posi'lion'on member A.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a character of the class dcscribcd of a springlastcncr member securcd thcrcto ol rclativclv grcatcr width in allOllZOllffl-l piano at its i'rcc, cnd than at its point of attachmentto said character.

2. The ornnbination with a cbaraclcr of the class described of a springfastener mcm bcr sccurcd thcrcto, said mcmbcr incrcasing in width from apoint :nljaccnt its point of attachment to a point adjacent the top ofits free end.

3. The combination with a portable charactor of a "fastcncr mcmbcrcomprising a tongue portion and a rclalivcly broad rcturn bend springportion.

4. The combination with a portable character of a fastener.mcmbcrprovided with a broadened return bend spring portion and a narrow tongucportimi cmbcddcd in. the ma tcrial of which the character isformcd.

5. The combination with a character formed from plastic cclluloid of afastener member comprising a broadened return bcnd portion and a narrowtongue portion cnibedded in the celluh'iid.

6. The combii'iation with a portablc charactcr of a fastcncr memberformed with a tongue portion and a rclativcly broad return bend springportion having its point substantially parallel with the shank of thefastcncr.

7. The combination with a portable character of a fastcner mcmbcr formedwith a narrow tongue portion sccurcd in the charactor and a l)l'(tt(l(]1((l rcturn bend spring portion having its point and shanksubstantially parallel.

8. The cmnbinathm with a portable char actor of a 'l'astencr mcmbcrformed with a turned tongue portion embedded in the material of whichthe character is formed and a relatively broad portion extending abovethe material and turned to form a rcturn bond spring with point andshank substantially parallcl.

in testimony whcreof l have hcrcunto signcd my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witncsscs.

J AM ICC Ti- WALI ACE. ll' itncsses T. E. HARTHGNBE'RGTI, J12, W. A.PAnLme.

